I recently collected some mosses on a warm day. To keep them thriving I have them in a low basin filled with about an inch and a half of moist soil. Topping the soil I have a layer of pine needles. I spray the moss with water daily, and so far, even the reindeer moss, which is really a lichen, is soft and green. I plan to create a naturescape with them and use them on my Christmas dinner tables as the centerpiece.
I collect moss in areas where there is a chance it will destroyed by construction or gravel pits. I also like to save pieces in areas that are torn up by dirt bikers. If I take any from the nearby woods I do not collect near paths where people walk, instead I enter deeper into the woods to collect from areas only the squirrels can view.
After a storm I often am able to collect scraps of lichen that fall with the dead branches brought down by heavy rains. These pieces of lichen laden bark look nice in terrariums or nature settings. I am hoping to make some fairy furniture in the winter and bring a little magic and light into the darker months of the year.